10 things to know before the 2026 Alabama high school football season kicks off
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High school football season kicks off in Alabama this week and we’re here to get you ready before the first games.
From familiar names and faces to systemic changes, there is plenty to catch up on as teams brave the heat for Week 0. Before you know it, the new championship week format will be here.
So keep reading to learn 10 things you need to know before the high school football season gets underway.
New classifications split up public + private schools
The long-rumored split between public and private schools has officially arrived in the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA).
This means there will be eight total AHSAA classifications—six for public schools (1A-6A) and two for private schools (A + AA). The decision came after years of debate factoring in competitive balance and school choice.
Private and public schools can still face each other in the regular season but they will not share championship play (regions or playoffs).
“I know that this was tough on (the Central Board) but I do know that they voted and researched and did what was right for kids. And as long as they’re doing what’s right for kids, you can’t complain about it… Sometimes change is good, sometimes change is not so good. Only time will tell.”Terry Curtis, AHSAA Central Board President
Read more information on the split which was first announced in January.
No surprises at the top of the preseason rankings
We got the first taste of the kind of impact the public-private split when the Alabama Sports Writers Association released its preseason rankings. Here were the top-ranked teams in each classification:
- 6A: Thompson
- 5A: Clay-Chalkville
- 4A: Williamson
- 3A: Plainview
- 2A: Piedmont
- 1A: Maplesville
- Single A: McGill-Toolen
- Double A: Bayside Academy
Check out the full ASWA preseason rankings + see where some schools rank in the national landscape of high school football.
Games to watch from home
While every AHSAA game will be available to air through subscription-based NFHS Network, there will be Thursday night games highlighted every week.
Here is the tentative list for the AHSAA Game of the Week throughout the season:
- Week 0: Thompson at Central-Phenix City (doubleheader with Central-Phenix City vs. Montgomery Catholic flag football)
- Week 1: Hoover at Opelika
- Week 2: Bibb County at Corner
- Week 3: Northside at Demopolis
- Week 4: Madison Academy at Briarwood
- Week 5: Enterprise at Andalusia
- Week 6: Cullman at Jasper
- Week 7: Pike Road at Benjamin Russell
- Week 8: Brooks at Deshler
- Week 9: Pelham at Mountain Brook
- Week 10: Auburn at Saraland
The AHSAA’s Game of the Week schedule is subject to change.
You can also catch St. Michael in a nationally televised game in Week 0 when they host Battle Ground Academy out of Tennessee. That game will air Saturday, Aug. 22 at 1PM on ESPN2.
State’s top recruits prefer Tigers to the Tide
While Alabama fans continue to get bragging rights from the Iron Bowl, it’s Auburn who is pulling in some of the state’s top recruits from the Class of 2027.
Alex Golesh has commitments from four of the state’s top 11 recruits according to 247 Sports including:
- LB Isaac McNeil, Vigor
- WR DeShawn Hall, Prattville
- DL Marquis Evans, Spain Park
- DL Donivan Moore, Bessemer City
Meanwhile, other recruits in the top 10 are committed to playing out of state at the next level including:
- QB Gunner Rivers, St. Michael, NC State
- OL Jatori Williams, Central-Phenix City, Miami (FL)
- EDGE Jabarrius Garror, Vigor, Texas
- DL Karlos May, Ramsay, Ohio State
- EDGE Cameron Pritchett, Thompson, Oregon
- DB Ai’King Hall, Dothan, Miami (FL)
- EDGE Keith Richmond,
In total, 247 Sports says our state has 14 4-star recruits and 65 3-star recruits in the Class of 2027.
Trent Seaborn is back at Thompson for final season
Of course, one of the biggest names not listed in the recruiting section above is Thompson quarterback Trent Seaborn, who is an Alabama commit.
The quarterback came on to the scene as an eighth grader to help the Warriors to the 2022 state championship and now he’s hoping to win an unprecedented fourth title as a starting quarterback.
Seaborn will be one of the favorites to claim the Mr. Football award as Thompson continues to gain national attention ahead of the quarterback’s final season in Alabaster.
Coaches chasing the elusive 9th state title
Entering the 2026 season, three coaches are tied for the all-time AHSAA lead with eight state championships including:
- Terry Curtis
- Mark Freeman
- Danny Horn
Curtis sat on eight titles for five seasons before retiring in 2025 but Freeman and Horn are looking to get over that hump and grab sole possession of first place on that list.
Freeman, the Thompson head coach, has won six of the last seven at the now-extinct 7A level. He also previously won two at Spanish Fort to go along with his four from the AISA level.
Meanwhile, Horn remains at Clay Central which is chasing its first state title since 2019. Horn is also currently the AHSAA’s all-time wins leader with 374—just six ahead of Fyffe coach Paul Benefield.
Longest active streaks to keep an eye on
Speaking of the record books, several programs will be looking to make (or break) a little history for themselves before the state championships even come around.
Here are a few streaks to keep an eye on (courtesy of the Alabama High School Football Historical Society):
- 20: Mars Hill currently holds the longest active-winning streak. The Panthers need to go undefeated in the regular season to become the 13th AHSAA team to ever win at least 30 consecutive games.
- 101: On the other side of the coin is Columbia who is looking to snap a 101-game losing streak, the longest in AHSAA history. The streak made national headlines last fall.
- 29: Saraland has won 29 consecutive regular season games, dating back to a 1-point loss to Theodore in 2022. The Spartans have just one state title during that span, losing in each of the last three 6A state title games.
- 43: Luverne has made the playoffs in an astonishing 43 consecutive seasons. The Tigers will remain in Class 2A after the reclassification.
- 8: As we have alluded to already, Thompson has made eight consecutive state championship game appearances. The format changes haven’t mattered, which is why they are the favorites again this year even in a new classification.
Central-Phenix flag football continues to roll
The most impressive streak in the state almost certainly belongs to the Central-Phenix City flag football team.
The Red Devils have claimed two consecutive national championships from USA Today while dominating most of the competition in the state. And while that gap is closing, Central remains the clear favorite.
The team currently has a 57-game winning streak with an average margin of victory of more than 40 points.
New state championship location + format
For the first time, AHSAA is headed to Mobile for the football state championship games. The event is expanding from three days to five days with the new classifications.
Hancock-Whitney Stadium will serve as host this season, entering the AHSAA rotation of stadiums across the state.
Here’s the schedule for the week of championships in Mobile:
- Tuesday, Dec. 1
- Private schools flag, 10AM
- Public 1A-4A flag, 1PM
- Public 5A flag, 4PM
- Public 6A flag, 7PM
- Wednesday, Dec. 2
- Private Single A, 11AM
- Private Double A, 7PM
- Thursday, Dec. 3
- Public 1A, 11AM
- Public 4A, 7PM
- Friday, Dec. 4
- Public 2A, 11AM
- Public 5A, 7PM
- Saturday, Dec. 5
- Public 3A, 11AM
- Public 6A, 7PM
This will be the first time the event ends with the largest schools since the AHSAA introduced Class 7A in 2014.
High school football resources
Looking to become an expert on your local school? Want to know more about tiebreakers or weekly schedules? Maybe you just want to look at a random school’s schedule from 1987?
Fortunately, there are a lot of online resources you can use to catch up as much (or as little) as you want to throughout the season. Here are some key links:
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